Dress-chart.



No. 705,|94. Patented July 22, I902. M. L. AVERY.

DRESS CHART.

(Application filed Oct. 12, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ MARY LUCINDA AVERY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO MABEL CROW'ELL, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

DRESS-CHART.

fiPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,194, dated July 22, 1902. Application filed October 12, 1901. Serial No. 78,416. (No model.)

fin ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARY LUCINDA AVERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems for Drafting Skirts; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a system for drafting skirts in dressmaking, and particularly comprises means for obtaining correct measurements of the different parts of the skirt with respect to both length and breadth.

Heretofore the length of a skirt has been determined by measurements from the waistline, or in which the waist-line was used as a basis. The result was that with most figures much alteration was necessary, and in many cases the cloth was ruined through having been out too low at the waist-line.

In my invention the hip-line is taken as a basis of measurement, and the lengths of the parts of the skirt are determined by measur- 0 ing from that line up to the waist and down to the floor.

My invention is particularly applicable to the new dip skirts-that is, skirts which slope forward and downward at the waist-line.

Inasmuchasfiguresdifferinthevariousfront, back, and side distances between the Waist and hip lines it is evident that systems which employ fixed or concentric parts to constitute or indicate the waist-line, or Waist and hip line, are defective, and the resulting skirt does not fit.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a View indicating my method of 5 measurement as applied to a form. Fig. 2 represents the chart used in drafting skirts according to the method of measurement.

In the drawings the line A B, Fig. 1, indicates the hip-line, which is determined by placing a belt around the hips of a person,

, and this is the base-line from which the measurements are made. In this belt distinctive marks are made, as by sticking pins at the center A of the front and at the center B of the back. Similar marks are placed at the front side seam C, thus giving the desired width for the front, which may vary according to the style preferred, and at the side back seam D, the width of back also varying, according to the style. Then the distance between the points C and D is measured and half of that distance is taken for the position of the side seam E. The distance is measured from each point to the next, and thus the desired width for each gore at the hip-line is obtained. A belt is buckled around the waist, indicating the exact natural slope of the waistline, which slope varies in different persons. Then from each point designated on the hip-line measurement is made up to the waist-line along each desired seam, according to the natural distance from the hips to the waist, and also according to the slope desired. The Width of the gores at the Waistline are taken between the junctions of the side-seam lines with the Waist-line. To further determine the length of the skirt-measurements aremade from each of the indicated points A, B, C, D, and E downward to the floor. The width of each gore at the bottom is apportioned according to its relation to the total desired width of the skirt.

In the foregoing explanation of my method of measurement the seven-gore skirt has been taken as the example.

In similar manner measurements may be taken for any other number of gores, flared or plaited.

It will be seen that by this method the hipline is taken as the basis from which all measurements are made and that the inclination of the waist-line or the irregularity thereof does not affect the determination of the proper lengths for the skirt; also that the seam edges of each gore are accurately measured according to their actual lengths and 5 that no allowances have to be made in the cutting of the pattern or skirt for variations of figures from the normal. A smooth fit around the hips is assured and also a proper length at each seam, not only to the bottom 10o edge, but also to the waist.

15y reason of the extremely-sloping waistis desired.

line assumed in the'new skirts great difficulty has heretofore been found in fitting by the old method of measuring from waist to floor, for the skirts so out were always found to ex tend too high above the waist-line in'front, while in the back they were out too low to reach the waist-line when smooth around the hips. The front then had to be trimmed down sometimes several inches and the back drawn up to meet the belt, thus causing Wrinkles and spoiling the fit around the hips and making the skirt too short at the bottom edge. By the old way the difference in length between front and back made necessary by the dip was added at the bottom of the skirt instead of at the top, where it was needed. It has been my experience that in order to obtain a perfect fit for all figures it is absolutely necessary (except a skirt be altered after cutting) to take the hip-line as a basis for measuring the length of the skirt and that it is only by taking such line as a basis that the proper lengths can be secured, particularly with figures having a sloping waist or where a slope or dip to the waist of the skirt By my system the length is added at the top, where it is required, and also at the bottom, if necessary, and the parts are found to match exactly when sewed together.

Following is a description of my chart, which is based upon the method of measurement previously explained. Itis to be made of cardboard or other suitable material of such dimensions as will enable it to be used in drafting for all figures. The hip-line is designated upon it by the line K M, on which are marked the inches and half-inches which may be required in denoting the widths of the gores at the hip-line, as previously ascertained by measurement. Scales F and G extend from the hip-line up toward the waist, upon which to locate "the length required for each edge of each gore, according to previous measurement and according to the, width at the hip-line. Extending from the hip-line down are scales H, I, J, N, and L, giving the lengths from hip to floor on widths regulated by the width at the hip-line and the width required at the bottom in proper relation to the total width of the prevailing or desired style. There is ascale O of inches across the bottom edge,by which the exact width of each gore can be seen when ruling,when any desired change in width may be made without in any way impairing the fit. The edge at the scale H is straight and is used for ruling the sides of gores of a plain skirt. The opposite edge at the scale L is designed for ruling the flare or sheath skirts. The chart contains a curve B S, which is shaped in such manner that by it any gore from waist to hips of whatever slope may be shaped symmetrically. The hip-line may be again designated on the reverse side of the chart for convenience in shaping the gores and also the lengths on the edges.

Following is an explanation of the method of using the chart, taking, for example, the first side gore of a seven-gore flare skirt: Lay edge having scale H on straight of goods, allowing two inches or more for flare. Mark by the edge from point K to length desired in scale H. Dotlength in scale G. Dot width on hip-line K M. Dot length on corresponding line in scale D. Dot length on corresponding line in scale J. In ruling place point M at hip-dot and edge even with dot in scale J and rule to length desired. For front edge reverse the chart. From hip to waist use curved edge R S and reverse for front edge.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a system for drafting skirts, a chart having a graduated hip-line as a basis, and scales extending upward therefrom to the waist-line and downward therefrom to the bottom.

2. In a system for drafting skirts, a chart having a basis hip-line having a scale to indicate the points of the longitudinal seams, and related scales beginning at the hip-line and extending from such points upwardly to the waist-line and downwardly to the bottom line.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARY LUCINDA AVERY.

WVitnesses:

BESSIE S. AVERY, EMILY BowLAND. 

